News

An equal revenue sharing proposal has been presented by Manila North Tollways (MNT) to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for running the 94km Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway in the Philippines. This is the third proposal devised by MNT since the firm secured the contract to operate and manage the Expressway in 2010. MNT has also offered to subsidise the current US$750.42 million (PHP 31bn) debt owed by the Philippines government to the Japan International Cooperation Agency, who provided t

The Indian government is to invest US$916.06 million (INR 50bn) in phases to convert 10,000kms of state roads in Andhra Pradesh to National Highways. According to the country’s Minister of State for Transport and Highways, Sarvey Sathyanarayana, the conversion works will be completed within the next three to five years. In the last fiscal year of 2012/2013, six stretches of state highways in Andhra Pradesh were converted to National Highways, covering a distance of more than 1,800km.

The German VDMA association for construction equipment and building material machinery is holding road show called Cement + Minerals during May 2013 that will stop in Peru, Chile and Brazil. Seven companies working in the field of cement engineering and mineral processing are joining forces. These companies will invite South American cement manufacturers and extraction industry operators to familiarise themselves with advanced solutions for secondary breaking, thermal treatment, feeding and screening techno

The ERF is publishing its manifesto intended to improve transport in Europe. Called Keeping Europe Moving, this programme offers solutions for effective management of a safe and efficient European road network. The ERF highlights that chronic underfinancing is leading to a severe deterioration of the quality of Europe’s road network. The manifesto highlights how this is threatening one of Europe’s most important assets. With a total of around 5 million km, the European Union’s road network represents a valu

In the UKL the Highways Agency has announced plans for an additional 58 schemes intended to boost the economy, reduce congestion and improve safety. These schemes form part of the third, and final, stage of the Highways Agency’s pinch point programme. The 58 schemes represent an investment of €114.6 million (£98 million) and are intended to remove bottlenecks and keep traffic moving on England’s motorways and major A roads. They will be delivered by March 2015 and will bring an estimated €1.64 billion (£1.4

The tender process is now open for work to rebuild a key highway connection linking St Petersburg with Murmansk in Russia. Kola state enterprise is managing the tender process. The section of the highway in question runs from St Petersburg to Petrozavodsk via Priozersk and Sortavala. The work is expected to cost some US$182.6 million and to require up to 1,262 days to carry out. The tender result will be revealed on 13 May 2013.

A major highway project for Colombia has now been opened to tenders. The project is for the Autopistas de la Prosperidad highway and the first five sections of this link have been opened to tender. Only 10 construction firms are being selected to send final bids, while the contracts will be awarded in November 2013. The five sections of the project are expected to cost a total of US$3.52 billion to construct. Overall, all nine sections of Autopista de la Prosperidad will cost $7.15 billion to build. The fou

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a financing agreement for a €120mn (US$ 156.2mn) loan designed to improve security conditions within the Fréjus tunnel, connecting France and Italy. The planned installation of a second lane/safety tunnel will to allow traffic to flow one-way on each of the two lanes, with each having a second emergency stop lane. One of the main trans-Alpine transport routes between France and Italy, the Fréjus Road Tunnel runs under Col du Fréjus in the Cottian Alps between Mo

Many large concessionaires have shown interest in the construction of the Corridor Vc motorway, according to Bosnian Minister of Transport and Telecoms, Damir Hadzic. When completed, the Bosnian section of the international Corridor Vc is planned to run for 330km through Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Bolivian Road Administration, ABC, has a 2013 state budget of US$611.98 million (BOB 4.29bn) for 2013, according to the firm’s president, Luis Sanchez. Bolivia has 16,000kms of roads. Work on a new section of the road between La Paz and Ilo is underway.

The first five sections of Colombia’s Autopistas de la Prosperidad have been put out to tender. The contracts, worth a combined US$3.52 billion (COP 6.4tn), will be awarded in November 2013. Overall, all nine sections of Autopistas de la Prosperidad are estimated to cost COP 13tn. The four remaining sections will go under the hammer in September 2013.

Roads in Tanzania will be upgraded with funding from Japan and the African Development Fund (AfDF). The US$80 million of funding will be used to improve roads in Mtambaswala, Tuduru and Mangaka, and between Bonga and Mayamaya. The road rehabilitation work is expected to help boost transport demand by a factor of four by 2030. The development follows the Comprehensive Transport and Trade System Development Master Plan prepared by Japan.